by Ray Mahlaka | Apr 19, 2013 | Featured 1, Sport
BIDVEST Wits’ hopes for a top four spot were dealt a blow when they lost 2-1 to Platinum Stars on Wednesday in an ABSA Premiership match at the Bidvest Stadium.
The opening minutes of the match were characterised by strong defending as both teams fought to keep a clean sheet.
Bakwena wasted plenty of scoring opportunities with the team from Rustenburg shooting largely off-target and Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Emille Baron in fine form.
The Clever Boys, however, were first on the score sheet in the first half courtesy of striker Ryan Chapman, who out-foxed the Platinum Stars’ defence, scoring his sixth and Wits’ 25th goal of the season.
The home team was emboldened by the goal and went in search for a second, with Bryce Moon coming close with a right-footed attempt, as Bidvest continued to rattle Platinum Stars’ defence. Wits ended the first half the stronger team, finding spaces in the Stars back-line with ease.
The match was not shy of fouls with referee Daniel Bennet forced into awarding a number of penalties.
Close to half time, Wits was awarded a penalty after Thomas Gumede’s mis-timed tackle on Bidvest captain Sibusiso Vilakazi. To the home crowd’s dismay, Vilakazi’s spot-kick was saved by Stars goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane.
The Clever Boys were made to pay for the miss when Platinum Stars midfielder Mogakolodi Ngele netted the equaliser on the stroke of half time.
Platinum Stars made the momentum count when Ngele scored his second of the night, this time from the penalty spot after a hand-ball by Bidvest.
Bidvest Wits’ Asive Langwe missed numerous opportunities to bring the team’s score higher and he was eventually substituted in the 75th minute.
The rest of the half was marred by fouls and scrappy play by both teams and ended in victory for the visitors from Rustenburg.
Three additional minutes were added to the 90-minute match, but proved useless for the Clever Boys and sealing a victory for the Bakwena.
Platinum Stars is now positioned second in the Premier Soccer League standings, while Bidvest Wits is in sixth place. Wits is one point off a top four spot with five more rounds left to play in the league.
by Caro Malherbe | Apr 5, 2013 | News, Sport
Bidvest Wits will be fined R50,000, suspended for 12 months, following a verdict delivered by the Premier Soccer League (PSL) disciplinary committee on Wednesday.
The team as well as their former coach, Antonio Lopez Habas, have been fined for contriving the Premier Soccer League’s Media Manual when they failed to attend a post-match press conference after their match against Orlando Pirates on November 24, 2012.
This lead to a hearing with the PSL disciplinary committee for both the club and coach, however, since Habas was out of the country his part of the case has been postponed. In the mean time the Clever Boys have been left with a hefty fine to pay.
A statement from the PSL read: “The parties (Wits and Habas) were charged with contravening the Media Manual after Bidvest Wits’ then-coach Antonio Lopez [Habas] failed to honour the post-match press conference against Orlando Pirates on 24 November 2012.
“The matter against Lopez [Habas] was postponed due to his absence from South Africa.
“Bidvest Wits was found guilty and fined R50 000 – suspended for 12 months. They were ordered to pay the costs of the DC.”
by Zandi Shabalala | Feb 25, 2013 | News
LEGENDARY former Bafana Bafana coach Clive “The Dog” Barker is looking to improve the fortunes of the Clever Boys this season as their new head coach.
Barker officially replaced Anthony Lopez as head coach of Bidvest Wits in January 2013.
Lopez’ contract was terminated at the end of last season by a “mutual agreement”. During his 5 month tenure Lopez guided the team to four wins, seven draws and five losses, with his last match in a 1-1 draw with Free State Stars in December 2012.
With two wins after three matches, Barker has led Wits to climb two positions on the Premiership log from 9th place to 7th place. The second win was over Chippa United on Wednesday night at the Bidvest Stadium on east campus.
Goals by Matthew Pattison and Ryan Chapman secured a 2-1 the victory in a game that saw the opposition team make it to the scoreboard first.
Barker guided Bafana Bafana to their only African Nations Cup title in 1996, eventually leaving Bafana Bafana after a string of losses.
After a three year absence from coaching, the 68-year-old is happy to have returned to PSL after his last coaching job at with Amazulu.
Speaking to IOL.com Barker said: “This is a club with great infrastructure and lots of quality players. It’s the first time I have taken a coaching position in Joburg. I’m here to try and improve the team.”
Wits goalkeeper Steven Hoffman told Wits Vuvuzela that Barker is a good coach because he instills positivity in the players.
“His aim is to win the league and he just makes sure he gives us that motivation. He lets the players play their own game but still finds a way to make us come together so we can play like a team,” Hoffman said.
The Clever Boys next match will be against top-ranked Kaizer Chiefs on March 2 at FNB Stadium.
by Enos Phosa | Feb 24, 2012 | Featured 1, Sport
BIDVEST Wits will hope their forward players are more clinical in spearheading the attack when the Clever Boys look to outsmart Kaizer Chiefs in Saturday afternoon’s Absa premiership clash at the Mbombela Stadium.
Since the resumption of the premiership the students have had a string of unfavourable results picking up only one from a possible six points in their last two fixtures, with a nil-nil draw against Maritzburg United at home and a 3-1 away loss to Santos.
Wits’s previous games have been uninspiring with the goal-shy strikers looking rusty and showing a lack of precision in their finishing after two months without competitive football during the league break.
Despite this, a calm looking Wits coach Roger De Sa believes the result will go their way “if the team continues in the form they are playing”.
“We should’ve won both previous league games because our performances have not been bad.
Against Santos, especially, we controlled 70% of the possession and were unlucky to hit the post five times,” he said.
Wits aims for a top eight finish in the league this season and there will be no room for error, particularly in defence, if they are to turn their fortunes against Kaizer Chiefs.
The Glamour Boys have proven that “swagg beats brains” in their recent battles with the Clever Boys both in league and cup fixtures.
In fact one would have to look back to 2009 for the last time Wits had a victory over Chiefs.
To add to Wits’s woes, Chiefs carry a confidence-boosting 3-0 victory over Moroka Swallows in their last fixture into this game, and the quest to displace Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the premiership log is more than enough motivation for the Soweto based team.
Wits reserve keeper, Steven Hoffman, believes the “team’s mindset will improve” and the players will be “geared up” for the Chiefs encounter.
“We have been working very hard in training and it is to our own benefit because at the end it will all pay off,” he said.
The Wits players are prepared to work even harder to overturn their fortunes in the league and start displaying the fast-paced and dazzling football for which the team was once known in the league.
